Month: October 2009

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Spiders Love/Hate relationship

Good job I don’t suffer from Arachnophobia – a terrible fear of spiders
‘Cose I was merrily pottering around the bedroom a few weeks ago
 and this is what I saw
up above on the frilly cutain valance
Can’t see the first photo
Look at this one
Still not visible
Ttry this one
I’d put your glasses on if I was you

OK here goes
Last chance
‘Cose it went out the door very soon after this

Big hairy monster that it was – it never made a murmur
when I ( oh well, when Dh) held the piece of newspaper underneath its legs
I did move out of his way so as he wouldn’t drop the paper
“cose goodness knows where it would have gone them lol
I may not have the fear of spiders
that Little Miss Muffet had
 but
I know I wouldn’t have been sleeping in that room
till it was found, thats for sure!!
Shhhh – don’t tell one of my girls that
as she still relates the tale of her dad telling her
to ignore the one on her bedroom ceiling
as she was much bigger than it
and it would be scared of her
and not the other way round!!
Known as Huntsman Spiders
or as one of my friends used to say
B.B.Bs
(Bloody Big Buggers)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider
http://www.abc.net.au/schoolstv/animals/SPIDERS.htm
ps.  If you want to see a really big spider go over to this blog
Kathy’s Kampground Kapers
Its a big one !!
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Fresh air and no sunshine

This is what I saw looking off the back deck late yesterday afternoon
Looks delightful doesn’t it
 poured again for most of the night
but had sort of cleared up by this morning
Having had enough of being cooped up inside
(‘Cose thats where I’ve been most of the week)
I decided to take my chances and go for a walk
These two weren’t going anywhere so I was on my own lol
I headed for a local park –
the one I told you about when we did the
Where I live posts
http://cranethie.blogspot.com/2009/03/where-i-live.html
Brolly and camera in hand I strode off
Not a soul in sight
 – it was only drizzling and not too cold –
and I was enjoying the fresh air.
Grey skies as I walked around
– you should be able to see the outline of the Dandenongs
through those trees –
Should was the word lol
Found one of the ponds and some ducks quite pleased
that what the shire is advertising as Wetlands
are actually wet now
and they have somewhere to swim
Heard frogs as well which was quite nice
Didn’t see any tho’
Further round I had another glance up the hills
Still heavy low cloud covering all the range
Another part of the pond looked nice and calm
Came to the little bridge
Still very wet and slippery from last nights downpour
But I strode on
That sounds good doesn’t it lol
I actaully ambled over it and met up with a friend coming the other way
Fed up with being indoors she was out ‘taking the air’ as well
Thought we’d have a sit down and chat
But changed our mind when we saw this bench
Very wet
Seems to have deteriorated a bit over the hot dry summer
It had a lovely overgrown appearance
Surrounded by loads of spring grass
courtesy of all the welcome winter rain
Will have to get the council out with their mower
As that could attract snakes
and other things

Looked at the water again and both of us decided to make our way home
It was coming down by the bucket load
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Watery Wednesday – Oct 2009 – 2

Whilst we were away during the Winter just gone ( July/August/September)
we visited Winton in Queensland
Looking around the web before we left home I found this picture
of a pool with some pelican statues that was built about 1995
 at one end of Main Street in Winton
Info at this site
National Library of Australia
http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2320558
Guess what it looks like now
click on the pictures for enlarged views
They aren’t the best of shots – bit dark
For some reason – time of day and shadows –
Couldn’t get a nice angle
Traffic going by
– even tho it looks deserted there were loads of cars around –
Did get a good meal at the Pub tho’
Winton was previously known as Pelican Waterhole
http://www.australianexplorer.com/winton.htm
http://www.winton.qld.gov.au/visitors/history0fShire.shtml
Click here to see more Watery Wednesday posts
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I’m beginning to think I don’t matter anymore

It happened again today. 
October 12th 2009
My birthday – yes another year older
but definitely not deeper in debt lol
The phone rang this morning and I answered it pleasantly
We are a market research company, could you spare a few minutes
Certainly says I
Depending on your answers it won’t take long
Thats fine says I
Could you tell us about your employment situation
Are you working full time, part time, casual,
if unemployed are you looking for work
I laughed and said jokingly – Oh I gave that up years ago
Sorry – Pardon
I’m retired
OH goodbye
I’m standing there stunned
Don’t I matter anymore
My answers obviously weren’t what they were looking for
Am I of no use, isn’t there any interest in my opinion,
even to a market research company
A similar thing happened last week
started by going through various age groupings
when I indicated which I belonged to there was a curt goodbye
Left me short of words
Well I said a few to the silent phone
Wish I’d had the quickness to say them to the caller
before they rang off!!
One of my girls gave me a birthday card this morning
with lots of happenings for today
October 12th
1492 Christopher Columbus discovered America
That was one of the things we learnt in school in England
I have always remembered that one
‘cose if you rearrange the year you get my birth year!!
OOPs TMI lol
Sadly its also the anniversary of what is known as
The Bali Bombings 2002
202 People – of which 88 were Australian – lost their lives
209 were injured
RIP
Oh well back to being invisible again
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I am noticing

That each morning recently there have been a few of these on the grass by the dividing fence
What would they be you ask
– well, they are the juicy new tips from this tree –
next doors Oak Tree that overhangs the fenceline
– and makes an awful mess when dropping its leaves –
– but then on the other hand –
it gives me a free supply of ingredients for my compost :))
Which means just one thing (spooky music)
The possums are back
Photo from wiki
I thought I heard footsteps on the roof and screeching during the night
decided I was hearing things 
WRONG
it has obviously warmed up enough for them to start night manouvers!!
Read all about Brushtail Possums here
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Time will tell

Bit bleary eyed this morning – was woken about 4.30 and then after closing my eyes at 5am managed to catch another hours sleep. I’ll be on my own this week, well till next Monday evening to be precise – as Dh left at that unsocial hour ( with a friend who has a rather noisy motor in his car so I’m expecting the neighbours to complain sometime about it running outside at 4,30am) – for Sydney and the World Masters Games.   

He’s a Tech Official for the Canoe/Kayaking discipilne so will be a very busy bee out at Penrith dealing with all the highs and lows an event ot this standard brings.

Which means…………. I’ll be here with a week to myself wondering how to fill it – not. 

Even if the weather is cold I hope to be outside clearing up some of the winter ‘mess’ and making the garden look more like it should be. 

I spent yesterday rearranging the doorway to the underhouse access.  A few years ago we laid bricks in front of the doorway and – don’t ask me how – they raised a little and on the one occassion we wanted to open it the door wouldn’t go over the top of them.:) 

I think we decided otherwise and just glacned round the side but thinking about eversince has bugged me so that was my job yesterday.  Pulled all the bricks up, relevelled the earth, then laid the bricks again. 

I now remember why it wan’t level the first time – many years ago we just tossed large pebbles there but I got annoyed ‘cose I couldn’t sweep the leaves away in the spring – anyway when I made the decision to put the bricks there I got fed up trying to dig the earth that had all these stones in and once the door skimmed over the top I just sort of ‘made do’ with the level I got to.  Had the same problem yesterday – cursed all those stones – but persevered and now have a nice clean, tidy and accessible space like this

So…………..as the weather man says there is only a slight chance of showers later in the day, I have two choices to fill the time in today – well I have more than that but these two appeal to me more than any of the others lol

Sort out this mess by the back door – doesn’t seem all that long ago I would be out there carrying on at kids if they left the place like that

. 
Or wander round the side of the garage and start on the area round there.  Now my New Toy aka 2000ltr Water Tank – has been installed I can tidy up and lay paving slabs along the front of it and then decide whats going to live (be stored) up the back of the tree stump.

Oh Decisions! Decisiosn!!

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Things I am noticing

Louise who posts some really nice things on her blog Home is where the Heart is 
mentioned something Ginny at Sweet Myrtle is doing this month of October.
She is posting about noticing things
So I thought you would like to see what I noticed yesterday
This rather nice butterfly settled in the sunshine on a slab of paving
And didn’t even move when I walked round her
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Thursday Thoughts

Here it is Thursday evening, nearly the end of another week.
These past few weeks since we got back from Queensland have been bitterly cold and very very wet, in fact the overnight temp here last night was 5c/41f and tonight we are expecting 3c/37
– SO – please
Could Melbourne’s weather fairy stop acting like a Contrary Mary
and decide whether she wants the season to still be Winter or progress properly to Spring.
Last week the rain came down constantly and very heavily
so much so that parts of the Yarra Valley close to home were flooded
These are scenes not seen for many a year
click on the pictures for a better view

It looked like these poor cattle or are they cows didn’t quite know what to do with all that water
One even waded in – do hope he/she was able ot got out and join the rest of the mob
We have now had our water tank installed so are sure it will stop raining soon lol
I’d cleared the chosen spot near the chosen drainpipe many months ago
so Dh didn’t have much in the way of work to do.
And as one of the Sons in law loves getting his hands dirty he was a willing worker when it came to sorting out all the pipework.
So if it ever does rain again
and
if I ever manage to get some veggies planted
I should have some water available for the plants
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Watery Wednesday – Oct 2009 -1

Two pictures taken from the back end of a boat
– called ‘The Stern’ I think –
3 years apart
Theres something about looking at the trail of water
showing the path just taken that I find fascinating


The first was taken from the back of this little vessel
– a 23 metre catamaran ‘Voyager’ –
on the day trip I spoke about last week
in The Whitsundays this past August ( 2009)

And the second in September 2006
from the back of this fabulous cruise ship ms Zuiderdam
photographed here berthed on a very rainy day in Ketchikan Alaska
please click on the pictures for a clearer view

To share more Watery Wednesday posts click here
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Weekend just gone

Sunday morning we had a trip into the city to see the Salvatore Dali exhibition at the NGV. The clocks changed to summertime on Saturday night so we lost an hours sleep which meant I was quite weary on the way there.

Took the train in and arrived at the Gallery about 11.15am and was astounded at the long queue outside, this had begun in June so had been showing over 3 months but of course with Sunday being the last day it was all the late starters who were showing up.
Had to wait quite a while under this sign before we could actually get inside the building – only a certain number of people allowed inside at a time- then we had to join the queue waiting to purchase tickets
click the photos to enlarge
A very long line which could possibly been avoided if I’d found somewhere to purchase them online but if it was available it was invisible to me ‘cose I couldn’t find it lol
This line snaked round and round and round again under the fabulous Stained Glass Ceiling in the The Great Hall.
so by the time we actually got to this line below (this door led to the actual exhibition) we’d been in the building for over 2 hours. By a stroke of luck I chose a large handbag and brought some knitting with me to do on the train – guess what I was doing to pass the time as we shuffled along. More than one person remarked on how clever I was lol Dh had a book with him so he looked very studious with his head in the book as he moved slowly in front of me.


We came out the same door over 2 hours later after having our eyes opened to the genius that Dali was. These 2 pics of our Yarra River and some high rise office blocks were from taken from Princes Bridge as we walked back to Flinders Street Station.


This one is of Princes Bridge itself with more of the skyline behind


and heres the welcome sight of the train coming to take us home

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Giving way or giving in

This intersection is close to where I live and I pass through it at least twice a week.
Its called Five Ways and in the suburb of Mooroolbark

Its a series of roundabouts – in fact its three roundabouts – that enable five roads to merge without any problems or hassles for the drivers

Now our road rules state that on a roundabout you must give way to all traffic on your right (in other words the road must be clear) before entering the roundabout

That means that some of the times I use this …………………..intersection

it is so busy its often nigh on impossible lol

I drive down Cambridge Road (bottom right) and need to go round the big ‘circle’ in front of me to join Manchester Road

So I look to my right to see whats coming down Hull Road or coming in from the other side of Manchester Road.

That traffic could be turning left into Cambridge Road or carrying straight on past where I’m waiting.

Until I see their indicators I have no idea where they are thinking about going – thats if they have their indicators on or are even in the correct lane lol

I sit there and wait and also look across the roundabout to see if anything is maybe coming right on round it – they will have to pass that traffic on my right and the said traffic will have to give give way ie wait till they have gone past, in which case I have time to get on to the roundabout and start going round to my exit

But wait – I’m off and running and proceeding forward to Manchester Road but still have to keep an eye on traffic coming down Hull Road in the right lane as they may be turning right to move into Manchester Road in which case I’ll have to give way to them

There have been some really good mornings recently ( like this past 2 weeks) where I struck lucky and sailed straight on ‘cose there was nothing coming

From Monday we’ll be back to hustle and bustle again ‘cose school hols finish and there are a couple of schools in the Hull Road which means the roads are full of kiss and ride parents

There are some days when its all to hard and I’ve thought b……….it – given in – turned left and driven back to the first roundabout and taken the right lane at the bottom of the Croydon end of Hull road, drivenpast Lincoln Road and sallied right on past my big one and then taken the left exit on to Manchester Road.

Only thing is it also has its drawbacks as I can get held up having to give way to traffic coming round from Cambridge Road (the place I’ve given up on ‘cose I couldn’t find a break in the traffic) and also got caught in Hull road traffic turning right.

You can’t win with this intersection and theres no point in chucking a wobbly and chancing your luck ‘cose right there on the right hand corner of Cambridge Road is the Mooroolbark Polce Station lol

Oh and I haven’t even mentioned coming back the other way

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October 1st 2009

This morning I had intended to post a note about it being the First of the Month and how I’d remembered when I was young in England we all came out with a funny saying on that date – Pinch and a Punch for the first of the Month. Then quick as a wink we would say – And no returns.

Wondered what it was all about and what the origins were. Had a quick look on the net and discovered it was to do with witches and pinches of salt

Wiki says:

Originating from old England times when people thought that witches existed. People thought that salt would make a witch weak, so the pinch part is pinching of the salt, and the punch part was to banish the witch. The witch would be weak from the salt so the punch was to banish her.

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pinch_and_a_punch_for_the_first_of_the_month

I also saw a mention to White Rabbits and that sounded familiar –

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbit_rabbit

But then with all the horrible things happening in the world at the moment it seemed rather frivolous .

Floods in the Philippines, an earthquake and tsunami in Samoa and now an additional earthquake in Sumatra right on the heels of the first one the other day

I’m sure governments all over the world will offer help but its happening to Pacific Nations, almost in our backyard and we wonder if there is more to come

Thoughts and prayers go to all those citizens affected by any of those disasters.
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